diff --git a/src/GUI/new_gui.cxx b/src/GUI/new_gui.cxx
index 4b85d0df2..a7b1ddb2e 100644
--- a/src/GUI/new_gui.cxx
+++ b/src/GUI/new_gui.cxx
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 #include "menubar.hxx"
 #include "dialog.hxx"
 
-SG_USING_STD(map);
-
 extern puFont FONT_HELVETICA_14;
 extern puFont FONT_SANS_12B;
 
@@ -183,6 +181,7 @@ NewGUI::clear ()
     delete _menubar;
     _menubar = 0;
     _dialog_props.clear();
+    _colors.clear();
 }
 
 static bool
@@ -269,12 +268,12 @@ NewGUI::setStyle (void)
     _colors.clear();
 
     // set up the traditional colors as default
-    _colors["background"] = FGColor(0.8f, 0.8f, 0.9f, 0.85f);
-    _colors["foreground"] = FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
-    _colors["highlight"]  = FGColor(0.7f, 0.7f, 0.7f, 1.0f);
-    _colors["label"]      = FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
-    _colors["legend"]     = FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
-    _colors["misc"]       = FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+    _colors["background"] = new FGColor(0.8f, 0.8f, 0.9f, 0.85f);
+    _colors["foreground"] = new FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+    _colors["highlight"]  = new FGColor(0.7f, 0.7f, 0.7f, 1.0f);
+    _colors["label"]      = new FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+    _colors["legend"]     = new FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+    _colors["misc"]       = new FGColor(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
 
     //puSetDefaultStyle();
 
@@ -289,11 +288,11 @@ NewGUI::setStyle (void)
 
     for (int i = 0; i < n->nChildren(); i++) {
         SGPropertyNode *child = n->getChild(i);
-        _colors[child->getName()] = FGColor(child);
+        _colors[child->getName()] = new FGColor(child);
     }
 
-    FGColor c = _colors["background"];
-    puSetDefaultColourScheme(c.red(), c.green(), c.blue(), c.alpha());
+    FGColor *c = _colors["background"];
+    puSetDefaultColourScheme(c->red(), c->green(), c->blue(), c->alpha());
 }
 
 
@@ -394,4 +393,67 @@ FGColor::merge(const FGColor& color)
     return dirty;
 }
 
+
+//
+FGFontCache::FGFontCache()
+{
+    char *envp = ::getenv("FG_FONTS");
+    if (envp != NULL) {
+        _path.set(envp);
+    } else {
+        _path.set(globals->get_fg_root());
+        _path.append("Fonts");
+    }
+
+    for (int i=0; guifonts[i].name; i++)
+        _fonts[guifonts[i].name] = guifonts[i].font;
+}
+
+FGFontCache::~FGFontCache()
+{
+   _fonts.clear();
+}
+
+puFont *
+FGFontCache::get(const char *name, float size, float slant)
+{
+    puFont *font;
+    _itt_t it;
+
+    if ((it = _fonts.find(name)) == _fonts.end())
+    {
+        SGPath path(_path);
+        path.append(name);
+
+        fntTexFont tex_font;
+        if (tex_font.load((char *)path.c_str()))
+        {
+            font = new puFont;
+            font->initialize((fntFont *)&tex_font, size, slant);
+            _fonts[name] = font;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            font = _fonts["default"];
+            // puSetDefaultFonts(font, font);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        font = it->second;
+    }
+
+    return font;
+}
+
+puFont *
+FGFontCache::get(SGPropertyNode *node)
+{
+    const char *name = node->getStringValue("name", "Helvetica.txf");
+    float size = node->getFloatValue("size", 15.0);
+    float slant = node->getFloatValue("slant", 0.0);
+
+    return get(name, size, slant);
+}
+
 // end of new_gui.cxx
diff --git a/src/GUI/new_gui.hxx b/src/GUI/new_gui.hxx
index 15de193d8..dbe1904fc 100644
--- a/src/GUI/new_gui.hxx
+++ b/src/GUI/new_gui.hxx
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
 #include <simgear/compiler.h>	// for SG_USING_STD
 #include <simgear/props/props.hxx>
 #include <simgear/structure/subsystem_mgr.hxx>
+#include <simgear/misc/sg_path.hxx>
 
 #include <vector>
-SG_USING_STD(vector);
-
 #include <map>
+
+SG_USING_STD(vector);
 SG_USING_STD(map);
+SG_USING_STD(string);
 
 #include <Main/fg_props.hxx>
 
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ class FGMenuBar;
 class FGDialog;
 class FGBinding;
 class FGColor;
+class FGFontCache;
 
 
 /**
@@ -151,13 +154,27 @@ public:
      */
     virtual FGDialog * getActiveDialog ();
 
-    virtual const FGColor& getColor (const char * which) { return _colors[which]; }
-    virtual const FGColor& getColor (string which) { return _colors[which.c_str()]; }
+    virtual FGColor *getColor (const char * name) const {
+        _itt_t it = _colors.find(name);
+        return it->second;
+    }
+    virtual FGColor *getColor (const string &name) const {
+        _itt_t it = _colors.find(name.c_str());
+        return it->second;
+    }
 
     virtual puFont *getDefaultFont() { return &_font; }
 
+
+    /**
+     * menu wide font cache, accessible from other classes as well.
+     */
+    FGFontCache *get_fontcache() { return _fontcache; }
+
 protected:
 
+    FGFontCache * _fontcache;
+
     /**
      * Test if the menubar is visible.
      *
@@ -178,7 +195,8 @@ protected:
 private:
     fntTexFont _tex_font;
     puFont _font;
-    map<string,FGColor> _colors;
+    map<const char*,FGColor*> _colors;
+    typedef map<const char*,FGColor*>::const_iterator _itt_t;
 
     // Free all allocated memory.
     void clear ();
@@ -199,14 +217,7 @@ public:
     FGColor() { clear(); }
     FGColor(float r, float g, float b, float a = 1.0f) { set(r, g, b, a); }
     FGColor(const SGPropertyNode *prop) { set(prop); }
-
-    FGColor& operator=(const FGColor& c) {
-        _red = c._red;
-        _green = c._green;
-        _blue = c._blue;
-        _alpha = c._alpha;
-        return *this;
-    }
+    FGColor(FGColor *c) { set(c->_red, c->_green, c->_blue, c->_alpha); }
 
     inline void clear() { _red = _green = _blue = _alpha = -1.0f; }
     // merges in non-negative components from property with children <red> etc.
@@ -245,5 +256,26 @@ private:
 };
 
 
+
+/**
+ * A small class to keep all fonts available for future use.
+ * This also assures a font isn't resident more than once.
+ */
+class FGFontCache {
+private:
+    SGPath _path;
+
+    map<const char*,puFont*> _fonts;
+    typedef map<const char*,puFont*>::iterator _itt_t;
+
+public:
+    FGFontCache();
+    ~FGFontCache();
+
+    puFont *get(const char *name, float size=15.0, float slant=0.0);
+    puFont *get(SGPropertyNode *node);
+};
+
+
 #endif // __NEW_GUI_HXX